When Blue Bell announced the return of its beloved Peaches & Homemade Vanilla ice cream, it brought back memories for the Smittcamp family of Wawona. For decades, Wawona has been proud to help supply the peaches that make this seasonal favorite possible. In fact, the relationship dates back many years, long before today’s production volumes.
Wawona President Bill Smittcamp recalls the Kruse brothers, owners of Blue Bell at the time, visiting Wawona’s facilities while he was in college to watch their peaches being packed. During that visit, Bill’s mother famously helped seal the deal over a homemade cheese soufflé, leading to Blue Bell’s purchase of two truckloads of Wawona peaches.
Those first two truckloads grew into a partnership that, at its peak, saw Wawona supplying up to 700,000 pounds of peach products to Blue Bell Ice Cream in Texas. At Wawona, we’ve always believed that great partnerships are built over time. Stories like this one are a reminder that some of our most valued relationships span generations.
Read more about the return of Blue Bell’s Peaches & Homemade Vanilla ice cream in the Southern Living article linked HERE.